3. My Toy Room

I moved into the home I grew up in when I was three years old. I was an only child at the time. My mother remarried and we all moved in together in a three bedroom ranch style home. The third bedroom became a toy room for me. It was filled with dolls, games, a giant chalkboard, stuffed animals, a play kitchen, any toy a little girl could dream of. As I grew older the toys I asked for varied and my toy room looked different year after year. Every summer we had a garage sale. My mother and I would go through all of my toys and sell the ones I had lost interest in.
When I was eight years old my mom and step dad told me I was going to be a big sister the following spring. It was very excited to be a big sister and very hopeful the baby would be a girl. I expected a lot of things would change with a baby in the house but I did not dawn on me that I wouldn’t be able to keep my play room. At first, I was obnoxious about having to sacrifice my toy room. I could not fathom having to cram my favorite toys in a small toy box to keep in my room. There were many toys I was not allowed to keep. The giant chalkboard was one of them, along with the play kitchen. They were just too big to have in my room. My mother and I went through my toys one by one. I surprised myself at how easily it was for me to sort through them, discarding some, and giving many to charity. I have to tell you though the bribe I received made it very easy. My mother told me if I would not throw a fit about not keeping the toys they would get a TV for my room.
I immediately changed my tune about the toys. Almost instantly I was too big for toys. It seemed in the matter of one line spoken from my mother I had grown in years. I was definitely big enough to take care of my own TV. I was going to be a big sister after all. I didn’t need toys now, I would be busy taking care of my younger brother or sister or watching my new TV. My world shrank to those two options as if I would never want to pick up a Barbie Doll again, or my giant chalkboard would not be missed when the neighbor kids came in to play school if it was raining.
When my little brother was born I did stay busy helping and I took pride in being the big sister. I am sure I had my moments at times about not having my toy room, but being the spoiled brat I was I am cure my parents gave me something to keep my mind off of it.